Travel smart: Protect yourself from booking a scam holiday
Have you considered booking a holiday in 2025? While booking time off is exciting, it’s important to ensure your plans are legitimate so you don’t end up the victim of a travel scam.
To help ensure your holiday plans go ahead, COBA’s financial crimes team share tips on how to identify and avoid travel scams.
What is a travel scam?
A travel scam can be identified by cheap flights and accommodation offers, free vacations, or exclusive holiday rentals. Scammers create fake listings for popular travel destinations that mimic legitimate online travel agencies. They will then require payment upfront or request unusual and unsecured methods of payment that scam victims out of money.
Travel scams can take many forms, including:
- Fake travel websites, booking platforms or rental listings advertised online.
- Unsolicited calls or emails offering free or heavily discounted luxury vacations.
- Fraudulent online marketplaces where scammers demand upfront payments for non-existent bookings.
Tips to protect yourself
- Do your research: Verify that websites, agencies, or accommodation listings are legitimate. You can do this by reading reviews from other travellers or asking for proof of the agency’s accreditation or certification. Red flags include listings with limited photos, vague descriptions, or deals significantly cheaper than market rates.
- Be sceptical of unsolicited travel offers: Avoid holiday deals that seem too good to be true, especially if they’re unexpected. You may receive emails notifying that you’ve won a free vacation and ask you to click a link to claim the prize – this is likely a scam, especially if you haven’t entered any competition.
- Use secure payment methods: Avoid transferring money or paying through untraceable methods like gift cards or cryptocurrency.
What to do if you suspect a scam
If you encounter a potential scam, report it to ScamWatch.gov.au to help protect others from falling victim. If you’ve been scammed, let us know by contacting us.
